Return
by Sturi
Summary: Atemu is unhappy with the gods in the afterlife and they grant him the opportunity to return to Yugi who is now at university. Atemu x Yugi
1. Chapter 1, An Unusual Request

Alright, here's the start of a new fic. I just couldn't get myself to continue The Museum--you know how things just feel "finished"? Yeah, that's how that one goes I guess. But I am enjoying the writing and so have decided to start another story. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ah, the famous disclaimer...Not mine, no money, no sue.

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**Return**

**Chapter 1--An Unusual Request**

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The great pharaoh Atemu gazed intently into the shallow depths of the pool in front of him. He was so lost in thought that he jumped slightly as a soft hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"My son, it pains me so to see you this melancholy. Why do you spend the days of your afterlife by the pool that looks down upon the world of mere men? You are a god, a god who has come home after so many years. Why trouble yourself with a world in which you do not belong?" Atemu felt a soft squeeze on his shoulder and the woman continued. "What in the world of mortal men could draw your attention away so fully from the afterlife you were born to live? What do you see, my son?"

Atemu looked up at the goddess Hathor, a sad look behind his eyes. Seeing this disturbance, Hathor sat down next to her beloved son. She pulled him into a gentle embrace and waited. She knew her son well and could not turn away when she saw how unhappy he was living amongst his family, his god heritage. She felt silent tears stain her pristine robes and knew that answers would come soon.

"I miss him so."

"Who, my dear son?"

"I miss my hikari, my light, my love."

Hathor was taken aback by that proclamation. _His love? Who could have captured the heart of her son so fully that he would give up his afterlife to pine away for a mortal?_ She gazed into the pool in front of them, now noticing that its focus was on a young man. A young man, she noted, that looked very similar to the young pharaoh she held in her arms.

"My Atemu, is this young man the one whom you speak of?"

She felt him nod against her shoulder. Giving her son a reassuring hug, she then pulled him away from her, keeping her hands on his shoulders. Atemu kept his eyes downcast from the goddess, and Hathor moved one of her hands to place it under his chin. She lifted his face so he would meet her eyes.

"Atemu, my beloved son, I can bear no longer to see you so unhappy in a place that should be your home. Tell me what it is you desire."

The pharaoh blinked and continued to stare at Hathor. "There is no use in saying what I desire for it is impossible for a god of the afterlife to walk among the living."

"Then you wish to go and live among mortal men…." She paused for a moment to search her son's eyes, "You wish to go back and live with this young man." It wasn't a question, but a statement of a fact that had been so ever since her lost son had finally made it to the afterlife to live amongst his god family. She pointed at the pool and Atemu's gaze fell once again. He spoke so quietly that Hathor had to strain to catch the words that fell from his mouth.

"Yes. I would wish to go back and live as a mortal with him."

Hathor gazed down at her son and with a small smile, she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "If that is what you truly wish. If that is what will make my son truly happy, then I shall do all in my power to make it so."

Atemu looked up at Hathor, surprise written across his face. The goddess gave him a motherly smile and pulled him into another warm hug.

"Thank you, mother."

"You know it will not be easy. Only ever has one god been resurrected, and it is not taken lightly in the realm of the gods."

"I know. But thank you anyways."

Hathor smiled and disentangled herself from her son. She rose and, with one last look, she turned away to go in search of Osiris, her husband's father and god of the dead.

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Okay, some more author notes to brighten your day. I've currently got the next two chapters under way, and have a vague idea of where I'm going. Editing is a great thing, and I've tried to do some for this chapter before posting, but it always helps to have someone else to watch your back. That said, I think I'm going to need a beta to bounce some ideas off of and to do some editing (as well as keep me on the ball for updating). If anyone is interested, please let me know.

I hope you enjoyed the start of the story. I know that I'm enjoying writing and sharing it.

As for Hathor, for those who don't know, she is an actual Egyptian goddess who is the wife of Horus. She was known as the mother of the pharaoh, so that's my explanation for the family/son/mother quotes.


	2. Chapter 2, The Request Granted

Okay, I just had to get this chapter posted since it is the final set up before I get into the real story. The next chapter is already in the making and I'm excited to see where this story leads. I hope it won't be too long in coming, but I intend to have it proofread before posting, so maybe within the week or so.

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**Return**

**The Request Granted**

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Atemu walked into the massive chamber. The last time he had been in this particular room was when he had entered the afterlife. He knew why he was summoned to speak with Osiris, and for the first time in many years, he was nervous. Osiris was not a god to be crossed, especially since he held your life and afterlife in his hands. Atemu reached the end of the chamber and stood in front of the large alter located there. He waited patiently for the god to arrive. Looking around the chamber, he noticed the intricate carvings that surrounded him, as well as the massive alabaster columns that towered over him. He heard footsteps coming from the side of the room and turned to meet them face on.

Osiris walked casually into the chamber and over to Atemu. Atemu nodded as a sign of respect. The god of the dead stood in front of the young pharaoh, sizing him. The silence was thick between the two. Osiris walked around Atemu, looking him over, and again stood in front of him. The pharaoh was beginning to feel a bit nervous, but knew that any display of weakness might cost him dearly. Not many stood before the god of death, and even fewer asked him for favors.

"You know why you have been summoned, Pharaoh Atemu?" The god spoke quietly, but in the enormous chamber even the slightest noise was magnified to enormous proportions.

"Yes."

"You know what you ask." It was not a question, but the god's statement made Atemu's heart begin to sink. He was sure that Hathor hadn't been able to convince the powerful god standing in front of him to allow him to live among mortal men again. "Hathor has come and informed me of your situation. I am not impressed."

Atemu gazed into the eyes of the god of death, curious and still leery of what he would see. It was not what he saw that shocked him; it was the intensity of the gaze the god placed on him. He felt Osiris looking into his soul. He felt bare as the god stared him down, ripping down walls and shattering secrets to reveal the truth.

The god turned away from Atemu, and he felt stripped. There was nothing he had in his entire being that was not out in the open now for the god to see, and to judge. Atemu knew that this was it. No matter what Hathor had said to Osiris, he now knew that he was being weighed. He could only hope Osiris might have compassion for what he saw from the pharaoh's soul.

The god stood still as he passed judgment on the young pharaoh behind him. It was an unusual request for a pharaoh, a god, to wish to return to the world of mortals. He needed to know why. The power of the feelings and memories that he had pulled from the boy had nearly overwhelmed him. He knew of the difficult times the pharaoh had had, ruling as the Living Horus, and then being locked in darkness for so long after saving the world from destruction. What surprised him the most was the conviction and power of the thoughts and memories that came after—flashes of smiling faces, images of an island, then a city with large buildings, flying, shadows, flashes of green, another island. And through it all, he noticed that one face remained constant. It was a boy, a boy who looked nearly identical to the young pharaoh standing behind him. The thoughts and feelings that were linked to this boy were indeed powerful. Osiris turned back to face Atemu.

"Is this why you wish to return to the world of men?"

Atemu looked at Osiris, searching his face for a hint of what he was thinking. He saw nothing but the cold, hard eyes of the god. He answered, knowing instinctively what the god was referring to, or rather whom. "Yes."

"Wait here." Osiris turned and walked out the doorway he entered from.

Atemu watched the retreating god with confusion in his eyes.

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Awhile later, he again heard footsteps, but this time there were more than one set. He stared at the dark doorway and waited for them to enter. Osiris entered first, and Atemu nodded his head to him, followed by Horus, who he bowed his head to as well. Hathor followed behind Horus and she was met with a nod and a quick smile. The three gods stood off to the right side of Atemu, in front of the altar, and turned to wait for another set of footsteps to enter. These footsteps moved slowly, but were tempered with power. Atemu knew who it was before the god even made it to the doorway. He fell to his knees and rested his head on the stone floor as Amun-Ra entered.

The other gods bowed their heads as the chief god passed by them to stand in front of Atemu. His steely eyes bore down on the young pharaoh still kneeling on the floor.

"Stand, Pharaoh Atemu."

The pharaoh slowly stood up from his prostrate position, but kept his eyes averted to the ground. Amun-Ra looked the young man over long and hard. He had noticed early on that Atemu was unhappy, and was surprised that it had taken him this long to act upon his desires. _Of course, _he_ did not act upon them. The goddess Hathor took it upon herself to intervene on his behalf. He must know what he desires to gain anything. We shall see where his heart lies._

"You are not happy here amongst the gods, your family and blood heritage?" The words were harsh and Atemu flinched at the bite they held, but he remained quiet. Amun-Ra looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Look at me pharaoh. Look into the face of your god. You cannot hide anything from me and now you have reached the point of decision."

Atemu slowly lifted his head to meet the god's intense gaze. Softly he spoke, "What does my god wish of me?"

"I want answers."

"Answers…" The pharaoh repeated quietly.

"I want to know what you desire. You have not come to the gods of your own will but on the will of Hathor." His eyes darted to Hathor for a moment before resting on Atemu again. "Do you not have a desire for something so great that you would risk the god's anger? There is nothing to gain by allowing you to return to the world of mortals. You do not belong there…"

"Yes, I do!" Atemu shouted out before he could catch himself. The echo off the chamber walls surprised him.

Amun-Ra tilted his head at him quizzically. He was quite amused at the boy's outburst. _At last we may see where his heart lies._

The pharaoh knew he had been out of line, but how dare this god, no matter whom or how powerful, insinuate that he knew what he wanted for his life. They stood in silence for a moment as Amun-Ra waited for Atemu to continue. He did not.

"Then where do you belong, my young pharaoh?" He left an opening for Atemu to grab on to.

"I belong with him." The god could see the conviction behind the young man's eyes as he spoke of this 'him'.

"Why?"

"I…I…I just do. He is a part of me. He is my life. He is my love." Atemu's head bent forward in shame. He knew that there was no way the gods would allow him to reenter the mortal world. There was no reason to.

A long silence followed.

Amun-Ra smiled. "That, my son, is what I wanted to hear."

Atemu's head jerked up to stare at the smiling god in front of him. "What? What do you mean?"

"My dear young pharaoh, you have sacrificed so much for the world, so much of yourself to do our bidding on earth as the Living Horus. You never had the opportunity to live a life." He paused and placed a strong hand on Atemu's shoulder. "I have seen your sorrow from the day you first arrived here. I am surprised you never came to me with this request sooner. All I needed to hear was that it was your heart's true desire to return to the one you love."

Atemu couldn't believe what he heard. He was going home. He was going to be allowed another chance to live. And live he would. Nodding to Amun-Ra and then turning to each god next to him in turn, he nodded with respect. "Thank you, my gods." He went to Hathor and embraced her. "And special thanks to you mother, for clearing my mind and making me realize what I desired."

Amun-Ra took in the scene in front of him. The young pharaoh had done so much; it was fitting that he be given a gift of gratitude. "My young pharaoh Atemu, it is time for you to go. May your days be great and may your life be blessed."

Atemu took one last look at his god-family before he was blinded by a flash of white light. Then darkness consumed him.

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So, what'd you think? 


	3. Chapter 3, Return to the End

**Okay everyone, here's the next chapter. I tried not to procrastinate too long on this one, but I had a few mixed thoughts on how to go about the story, now that I realized I needed a plot to continue on with. Details, details...**

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed. It is great to see that people are enjoying the story and are willing to take a minute or two to say so. Thanks.**

**And special thanks to Erudit, who took time out for me to beta this chapter. Thank you.**

Return

Chapter 3

Return to the End

Yugi walked home from school slowly. He was now attending the local university, along with Honda, Otogi, Ryou, Malik, and believe it or not, Jonouchi. Yugi had skipped out on his friends again, knowing full well that they would worry about him. The group had wanted to meet up after classes at the local pizza parlor, and he just didn't feel like spending the time today.

Memories passed through Yugi's mind and he felt like he was watching movie after movie as he walked past the familiar sights on his way home. He pretended he liked the solitude now. That wasn't true. He felt so alone; even more so now than he had been before he met Yami. _Atemu_, his mind corrected. He sighed and walked on.

The memories continued. After the last battle, he had tried to find a place for just himself in his life, but nothing he did could fill the hole that the pharaoh had left. Life just wasn't the same with him gone. Yugi had dated Anzu for awhile, but it only took a couple of weeks for them to realize that it wasn't working. They were both on the rebound. _From the same person…_ He was glad that Anzu had been able to move on. She ended up in New York, at a prestigious school there, _Julliard_, his mind supplied. He received letters from her every few weeks or so, punctuated with an occasional long-distance phone call, and he was happy for her. She was living her dream. He was also jealous of her for the same reason. Here he was, in the middle of his second year of university, and he still didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life.

Stepping through the door at the old game shop, he made sure the door shut and locked behind him before making his way upstairs. His grandfather was rarely home these days. He spent a lot of time in America with his friend Professor Hawkins. They were continuing the long-time research of Egypt's history and how the duel monsters and shadow games played an integral role in that history. Yugi was kept up to date on how things were going, although he wished that he didn't have to endure the weekly conversations about something that hit so close to his heart now. He also knew that his grandfather was checking up on him too. His grandfather didn't miss much these days and Yugi knew that he was worried about him. Yugi wasn't the same person after Atemu left, and as the years went by, the concern grew little by little.

Yugi dropped his things in the middle of the floor in his room and flopped down on his bed. Everything was still the same as it had always been, save the new pictures scattered here and there on the desk. He rolled over onto his side and stared at the wall. He suddenly felt weary. It had only been a few years since his Yami left, but the loneliness was starting to take its toll. The possessiveness of that thought stopped him for a moment. _Wait, _his_ Yami? Where did that come from?_ Yugi continued to reminisce as his eyes closed. Soon he was asleep.

Yugi woke suddenly. An odd feeling came over him. His mind was feeling fuzzy and looked around the room for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. Everything was the same down to the dirty socks he had tossed on the floor a few hours earlier. The clock read 8:06pm. _Wow, I sure slept a long time. I'm going to have a lot of trouble getting back to sleep now._ He heard a rumble from his stomach and decided to head downstairs to the kitchen to grab something light to eat.

He heard a dull thud and then someone mumble. Yugi couldn't make out the words, but he could guess that Malik was having some trouble in the kitchen again. He sighed and stepped through the doorway. The sight that met him was one of Malik attempting to make soup, and apparently the thud had been the can hitting the floor; thankfully it hadn't been opened yet. Yugi chuckled. Malik's head spun around at the sound and Yugi received a freezing glare as the can was retrieved from its resting place on the floor.

"Don't just stand there and laugh! Get over here and help me out!"

Yugi made his way over to the young Egyptian, and took the can from him. He expertly placed it in the automatic can opener and watched with feigned interest as it spun around.

"Here you go." The now open can was passed back to Malik, who poured it into the saucepan on the stove.

"Hmph. I don't know how you can manage to figure that contraption out. Why can't we be like every other household and have a manual can opener?" Malik stood there; hands on his hips, awaiting a reply he knew wouldn't come, while eyeing the soup as it began to boil. Yugi just shrugged. Malik had never gotten the hang of using the automatic can opener, and it was always amusing to watch the inevitable fight between the two.

All of a sudden, a strange thought came to Yugi's mind. He looked hard at Malik as he stirred the soup. He was so different now from how he had been when they had first met. Of course, the circumstances were quite different then too. You just don't get the chance to get to know someone when you have their evil yami after you and the world. Yugi never would have dreamed that he would have Malik here, in his home, as his roommate. Fate sure took some strange turns. He could remember the phone call from Ishizu clearly. She had said that Malik wished to transfer to one of the universities where they lived, and asked if they would mind helping him out by finding him a place to live. Grandpa had jumped at the opportunity. He strongly thought that Yugi needed a roommate since he was being left alone for extended periods of time—if for no other reason than to keep an eye on him and give him someone to talk to. Unfortunately, school had started a month earlier, and Malik was stuck taking a semester off. He kept himself busy by alternating running the game shop and working a second job.

"Malik, can I ask you a question?"

Not even looking up from his self-appointed task, Malik replied, "You just did."

"Do you ever miss Marik?"

That got his attention. The Egyptian looked down and sighed before slowly turning his head to look Yugi straight in the eyes. He knew this question was going to come out sooner or later. It actually surprised him that Yugi had waited at least a couple of months before touching on such a sore subject, for both of them.

"Yes." A long pause. "Yes, I do miss him. In some twisted way, I miss him."

Yugi stared back and waited for the boy to continue.

"Marik was a part of me. Just as the Pharaoh was a part of you. Why do you ask?"

Yugi hung his head, breaking contact with Malik's intense gaze. "I just feel empty, you know? Like something's missing and there's no way to fill the hole." He looked back up at his friend. "I've been feeling really strange today. I don't know why." Malik looked Yugi over and shrugged.

"Yugi, it'll pass. It's hard and there's always days where you just don't feel like facing the world, but all you can do is just keep moving forward. It does no good to dwell in the past now." Malik looked back down at the boiling soup, and deliberately changed the subject. "Ah ha, done. Grab some bowls will you?"

Yugi did as he was asked, meeting Malik back over by the stove. The soup was divided between the two, and Yugi reached over to a nearby drawer to grab spoons.

"Want to watch a movie?" Yugi looked over at the other boy, understanding that the previous conversation was now closed.

"Sure, what'd you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, Ocean's Eleven? That sound good?

"Sure."

The two boys settled themselves on the couch in the living room, and waited for the movie to start.

"Why do you always make us watch the previews? You've seen them twenty times already! It's not like something new is going to show up on the tape."

Yugi shot Malik a glare, which just ended up looking like a hilarious scrunching of his face. Malik grinned and made a grab for the remote. His hand brushed past his goal as Yugi pulled it out of his reach.

"Quit it! They're almost done, see?"

The blond boy pouted for a moment, and then turned his attention to the starting movie. This was a favorite of his, and he never liked missing any part of it. The next two hours found the two immersed in the movie.

Yugi found himself back in his room after getting himself ready for bed. The movie had been good, as usual, but he hadn't been able to concentrate on it this evening. There was a nagging sensation in the back of his mind, but he couldn't place it at all. By the time he had made it into bed, it was nearing 10:30. Yawning loudly, he flicked off the light and drifted off to sleep.

Something wasn't right. There was something unusual about the house. Yugi knew it. He had woken up startled, and didn't know why. A glance at his alarm clock let him know that it was only 2:48am. He needed to get back to sleep. He had class early in the morning. Still, that nagging feeling wouldn't leave his mind. If anything, it had gotten stronger. Pulling the covers back, he stepped out of bed, and walked quietly out of the room. _I'll just do a once-over to make sure that everything's okay._ He crept down the stairs, making as little noise as possible, not wanting to wake Malik.

Yugi looked around the living room. Nothing was out of place. Even the shadows were familiar to him. He continued to the kitchen, finding the same. The only place left to look was the shop area.

He walked though the hallway and through the door that separated the shop from the house. Glancing around, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, although, he didn't usually see the game shop at three in the morning. Satisfied that things were okay, he decided that he must be suffering from stress. He walked back into the living room. That was when he noticed the unusual shadow on the wall. His eyes widened, and he looked to the source: the front door. There was someone standing there, blocking the moonlight from correctly entering through the window.

A tingling sensation ran up Yugi's spine. A mix of apprehension and adrenaline were beginning to take hold of him. A light tapping on the door made him freeze where he stood. The tapping ceased, and Yugi let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. The tapping resumed. Apparently someone expected him to answer the door at this time of night. Curiosity overwhelming his common sense and good judgment, he stepped closer to the door.

"Hello? Who is it?" Yugi whispered at the door. No answer. He realized that the person on the other side couldn't have heard him. Sighing, he did the unthinkable and opened the door to a stranger.

Yugi looked at the man standing in front of him and conscious thought finally caught up. _Oh no, what did I just do?_ The man that stood in front of him wore a long cloak and hood, shielding his face even more with the added effect of the silhouette against the moonlight.

The man slowly lifted his hands to lower the hood. Yugi jumped at the movement, on edge now that he had walked himself right into what could quickly turn into a bad situation. The man stopped his hands as they reached the cloth. Yugi's mind raced. _Malik was upstairs, he was easy enough to wake, but would he get downstairs in time to help if he called? Would he need to? Who was this guy? What would happen if Marik didn't make it in time? What if…? What? Wait. What?_ The man had spoken one word and Yugi had almost missed it. His mind came to a full stop as he registered what the man had just said.

"Aibou…" The word hung in the air as the two faced off. The hood was slowly lowered to reveal a spiky haircut. Yugi's eyes widened.

"Y-Yami?" It was barely a whisper, but the other heard it. Yugi watched as the man slowly nodded. They stood in the doorway, neither making a move; neither wanted to ruin the slight chance that the other was truly real.

Yugi regained control of his mouth first. "Is it really you? Or is this a dream?"

The other stared at him and reached a hand forward, taking hold of one of Yugi's. Looking down at his hand, it looked real. It felt real. There was warmth in the hand that held his own. Yugi looked back up to the face of the man in front of him. There was a flash of a smile, before he leaped forward to embrace his long lost soul mate.


	4. Chapter 4, Memories

Yeah, that's right! Another chapter! About time, right? I was putting myself on such a guilt trip for not updating sooner, so I hope this one lives up to your expectations. I plan to have the next chapter out soon, since school will be out and I can give a little more time to writing. If I'm starting to take too long, bug me, guilt trip me, anything (nicely though, please!). Make me get that next chapter out.

Special thanks to my two betas for this chapter, Miriku-Yami's Queen of the Nile-Yami no Hikari and especially, Erudit, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to read over my chapters and let me know where I'm making mistakes and especially how to fix them. You girls are great! Go give them some love too.

And to all those people who have reviewed and those who will (hopefully) review in the future, I want to give you a huge thank you. It means a lot to me to see that people are enjoying my stories, and I am always glad to read what you have to say. I also like to have the chance to speak back, so I'm going to start posting replies to your reviews and progress in my livejournal, username Sturi (which will hopefully get more use now that this is the plan), mainly so I don't clutter up the chapters with excess writing. And, it should make for a little easier time of replying back—I hope.

I did reply to Slifer's comment at the bottom, although she asked no question, I just felt I needed to explain my reasoning a little. It's just a little side blurb on my thought process concerning Malik's character.

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Return

Chapter 4

Memories

The two embraced in the doorway for a long time. It was Yami who broke the contact between them, albeit reluctantly. Yugi looked up into the ruby eyes of his dark half, slight confusion written across his face, before he realized that they were still standing in the open doorway.

"Oh, um, yeah. Come inside, uh," a momentary pause, "Atemu." The name came out of Yugi's mouth in an awkward way.

Yami looked down at his Aibou, catching Yugi's unease with his given name. "I think I prefer the name Yami if you don't mind, Yugi. Atemu was the past, Yami is now."

Yugi smiled brightly at Yami, and led him into the house. They sat down on the couch and Yugi could barely restrain himself as the questions began to surface. Yami chuckled at the small one's impatience, knowing exactly what was running through Yugi's mind.

"Okay, go ahead and ask."

"How did you come back?"

"Surprisingly, it was easier than I could have dreamed. I was unhappy in the afterlife, even though I was among the gods. Hathor took pity on me and pleaded my case to Osiris. He brought Ra in to judge me, and I was allowed return to the world of the living. To you." Yami was absently fidgeting with his hands as he spoke. Yugi didn't notice.

"Wow! Hathor, Osiris, Ra! That's amazing! But, why were you unhappy there? Wasn't it like a paradise?" Yugi's questions continued.

"Yes, it was paradise. It was the realization of every pharaoh's dream." Yami sighed as he started to answer. He didn't want to fully answer that question yet, and stalled for time by glancing at the clock. It was nearing 3:30 in the morning. "Yugi, it's quite late. You have school in just a couple of hours. You should try to get some sleep."

"Yeah," Yugi tried to stifle a yawn as he stood, "you're right." How Yami knew he had school in the morning never even crossed his mind. "Wait here Yami." Yugi called as he made his way up the stairs.

Yugi returned in a couple of minutes carrying a pillow and some blankets. They were stacked high enough in his arms that Yami could barely see the red tips of his hair. The pile was dropped unceremoniously onto the couch. Yami looked at his Aibou, curiosity and confusion plain on his face.

"I'm sorry Yami, but there's not an open room for you to stay in right now. Malik is my roommate and has the spare that was empty back when you were here. You'll have to stay on the couch for tonight."

"I understand, Aibou." Yami started to arrange the blankets and pillow into a makeshift bed. He had forgotten that Malik had made an appearance in Yugi's life a little while ago. It hadn't bothered him much in the afterlife. "Goodnight Yugi. Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yugi yawned once more and then turned to make his way up the stairs. "Goodnight Yami." He hoped he could at least get a few more hours of sleep before he had to get up for his morning classes. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Yami begin to settle in for a moment before continuing up to his room.

"Holy Ra! What are you doing here!" Malik had walked down the stairs to find Yami sitting on the couch with a glass of orange juice, watching the morning news. Yami glanced over his shoulder to look at the blond teen.

"I'm back from the afterlife."

"Obviously. But why? _How?_"

"I think those questions are better left unanswered for the moment. I would like to wait to tell everyone at the same time." Yami stood up from the couch. He looked a little nervous for a brief moment. "Um, Malik, do you know how to make breakfast?"

"Uh, yeah. You haven't eaten yet?" Malik looked Yami up and down. The Pharaoh was still dressed in his old Egyptian attire, minus the spikey gold pieces, which he noticed were laying on the coffee table.

"Nope. Yugi never got the opportunity to show me how to use the kitchen. I don't want to take the chance of breaking anything."

Malik nodded. "Well then, follow me. I'll show you how to use the toaster and microwave. That should get you by for now." He walked into the kitchen and motioned for Yami to follow.

Opening the refrigerator, Malik pulled out some bacon and eggs. He motioned to a drawer along the far wall. "Yami, will you grab some bread out of the drawer over there?"

"Um, okay." Yami started looking through the drawers nearest to him and went through three before locating the correct one. He brought the bag of bread over to Malik. "Here."

"Okay, pull two slices out and place them in this thing here." He pointed to the toaster. "One slice goes in each slot. Then you pull down the lever and wait for the bread to pop back up. It takes a few minutes." Yami did as he was told, and Malik went back to rummaging through a pile of pans, finally locating the frying pan he had been searching for.

Malik pulled a dish out of the cabinet and placed a paper towel on the plate. He reached over and pushed the bacon in front of Yami. "Okay, take out a few slices and arrange them straight on the plate here. I'll show you how to use the microwave in just a minute. Let me get the eggs started."

Breakfast had gone by somewhat smoothly. Yami was quite surprised that Malik had helped him out. And what surprised him even more was the fact that Malik was actually a half-decent cook. He had never thought of the blond in any other manner except as an obstacle; at the beginning as his opponent in Battle City, and later as a puzzle to decipher so Yami could regain his identity. They didn't say much to each other over breakfast. Perhaps Yugi's presence would make things more comfortable.

"Well, I'm headed out. I've got to get to work." Malik stood from the table and placed his dishes in the sink.

"I thought you worked in the game shop." Yami looked at Malik, confused.

Pausing to think about how Yami might have known that he worked in the shop, he then replied, "I work there too, but only to help with the loose ends. I have a second job. I'll see you later. Yugi should be home in a couple of hours, usually by two." The blond made his way out the door, leaving Yami alone with nothing to do.

Yami stood from the table. _Now what to do?_ He was stuck in the house, with a few hours to kill. He decided to look around. It had been so many years since he had walked out of the life he had shared with Yugi, and he figured he might gain some further insight into the young man's life. The rooms were still the same. Same furniture, same decorations, same pictures, with a few more added to the collection. He marveled at the way the pictures told the story of aging, and it made Yami feel a little bit saddened that he had had to miss some of Yugi's growing up. Yami made his way upstairs, his legs taking him automatically into Yugi's room.

He found that his Aibou's room hadn't changed much either. The only hint that time had passed at all was, again, the photos. There were plenty of them around the desk area, and Yami enjoyed looking at the smiling faces. _So many memories._ Unfortunately, he had not been able to take part in many of them. He walked over to Yugi's bed and sat down.

"I've missed so much." Yami said to no one but an empty room. The room that he and Yugi had spent countless nights together in—either planning strategy for their next big adventure to save the world, or simply talking and just being friends.

Yami started to stand up, but in the process his hand slid out from underneath him. It brushed something that was stored under Yugi's pillow. He pulled the object out from its hiding place and realized it was a photograph. It looked like it had been taken just after the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Jonouchi and Honda were making odd gestures as Yugi stood between them. _Wait. That's not Yugi. That's me._ Yami looked harder at the image of Yugi in the photo, and although there was a subtle difference between him and Yugi, there was no mistaking that the person in the photo was him. He had no doubt that Yugi knew it was Yami in the photograph. That could explain it's hallowed home in Yugi's room. _I wonder…_

"Yami! Yami, I'm back! Yami?" Yugi walked into the living room. He saw that the blankets he had given Yami for the night were neatly folded, pillows placed on top. The heavy gold pieces Yami had been wearing were laid on the table with his folded cloak. _So it was real. _He wandered through the living room and to the kitchen, pausing at the game shop somewhere in between. Not finding Yami downstairs, he made his way up.

He opened the door to his room slowly and was met with the sight of Yami napping on his bed. A photograph was in his hand. Yugi walked over quietly and slowly pulled the photo out of Yami's grip. When he looked back up at Yami's face, he was met with open crimson eyes.

Sitting up, Yami motioned for Yugi to come sit down next to him. As the boy sat, Yami placed an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close.

"This was the only thing I had left." Yugi held up the photo. He had spoken so softly that Yami had almost missed the words. Yugi's eyes went out of focus as he continued. "There was nothing left after you had gone. I was so lonely. It was hard living every day being reminded of you and of the fact that I wouldn't see you for a long time, if ever again." Ha paused. "Anzu—before she left, she handed me a small stack of pictures from our adventures. To this day I don't really know if she knew that was you in this picture." Yugi closed his eyes and pulled in a ragged breath.

Yami looked down at his aibou. He had never realized that Yugi had missed him so much. He had always looked so happy. Yugi had been living his life, growing up into a fine young man—without him. Yami had never thought that his departure would have hurt Yugi as much as it apparently had. The boy looked to be so full of life, but here he was now, telling Yami that he had truly been hollow. Yami did the only thing he could do. His arms tightened around Yugi and he pulled him into a gentle hug. "My Aibou. My Yugi. I'm so sorry."

Yugi let himself be pulled to Yami. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks. He just didn't have the strength to hold them at bay anymore.

"Shh, Aibou. It's alright. Let it go." Yami tightened his hold on Yugi slightly. He hadn't ever seen Yugi cry after he left to enter the afterlife. The boy needed this release.

Yugi gripped the front of Yami's tunic as if afraid to let go. Yami rested his head on top of Yugi's as the boy continued to deal with the overwhelming emotions.

Minutes passed and Yugi's tears slowed. He pulled back just enough to be able to see Yami's face. Yugi spoke softly. "All I had were the memories. And those just weren't enough."

Yami looked deeply into the beautiful violet eyes of his hikari, and nearly drowned in the sea of emotions he found there. "You have me."

-------------------------------

As promised, a small look into my thought process. Feel free to agree, disagree, whatever. I would love to hear other people's views concerning this.

To refresh our memories, Slifer commented that Malik and Yugi make an unusual pair for roommates:

Yeah, I know what you mean. That's actually why I picked Malik—he's so unusual. I was planning to have Ryou there instead, but I just thought Malik was a better choice of the two. Also, I know Malik gets portrayed as this "psycho", (especially in fanfiction--not to say it isn't fun or entertaining) but I just can't see him like that, or at least not to such an extreme. The last episode of the Battle City tournament really made me think about his personality. He is really a deep character.

Throughout the Battle City episodes, the flashbacks really only show him as a little spoiled child. Although I might be wrong, but don't you think that him being told he's really "special", even if it is for something that Malik doesn't consider as such, would give him a bit of an ego? He's bound to feel that he's better than others, and coupling that with Marik—that makes a recipe for disaster like we saw. Malik thinks he's owed something because he has been singled out as a special person among the tomb keepers. He's the youngest, and still very immature, but he is above his sister because he is a male, and above Odion because he is of the bloodline.

His reality was different from the outside world's since the day he was born, and Ishizu taking him out into the daylight shattered that fragile balance in his mind. That was his downfall. He could not handle the responsibility of being "special" yet not "special" enough (i.e. the Pharaoh) and it messed his mind up. Enter Marik—who is an escape for Malik so he doesn't have to deal with the responsibility himself. Again, Malik thinks he's special so he's owed something. And he wants what he thinks is the ultimate sign of "special"—the Pharaoh. Hey, he must be…his family's been guarding the guy for three thousand years. He sees that there is someone more important than he is, and he wants to destroy it so there's not threat to his "specialness" anymore.

He never seems to really want to hurt anyone—he just wants to get his way. A sure sign of immaturity. And when he finds that it's not going to happen, he gets more and more dirty in his dealings until we find Joey and Yugi dueling. The way he duels in the semi-finals and finals of Battle City really isn't that bad at all.

We also see that Ishizu still sees him as a good person. He could have killed her with the rod when he stole the god cards, but he didn't. If he was as psycho as he's made out to be, why didn't he kill her? He killed his father—well, Marik did, but still. And, at the end of the tournament, when Marik and Yami duel, Malik learns that he's not the hot sht he thought he was. He's not better than the others, and he humbles himself by forfeiting to Yami. The Malik we see at the end of the tournament is far different from the one we see at the beginning—even from the child Malik.

I think that after a couple of years, he would have settled down in life and come into the daylight's reality and tried to make something of himself just like any other normal teenager does. He's just a young man with a gigantic ego, who finally learns how to grow up from the stunt that the shattering of his fragile tomb-keeper reality gave him, and reenter society as a normal human being.

He and Yugi could learn a lot from each other…

Wow, that was long-winded.

Alright then, thanks for reading. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and that you'll stay tuned for the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5, Reunion

I promise I won't say much in the AN this time since I was really long winded last time.

Okay my lovleies: An early Christmas present for you. And, surprise, a long chapter! That said, read on and please enjoy.

* * *

Return

Chapter 5, Reunion

Yugi looked at Yami. He wasn't quite sure what his dark one meant with those words. Taken at face value, they were innocent enough. But there was something there, just under the surface of the voice that he couldn't place. The phrase was cryptic and it confused him. He chuckled silently to himself. _Maybe I'm reading too much into him now. I had become so used to trying to see the story beneath the surface when he couldn't remember his old life—I must be looking for something that might not be there._

The two young men sat quietly on Yugi's bed for quite some time. Both were lost in thought. Yami was the first to break the long silence. "Aibou…" Yugi's eyes refocused onto Yami as his strong voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking? You had a faraway look on your face." Yami smiled gently at the other boy.

"Oh. Um, well, I was just thinking about how all of this is so surreal." _Liar. Well, not really, it _is_ surreal. _Yugi looked down at his hands. He was unconsciously wringing them and he forced himself to stop. He was getting nervous and it was making him even more uncomfortable. _Since when do I get nervous around Yami? _

Yami could see that Yugi was acting a little edgy. He had noticed his aibou fiddling with his hands and then suddenly stop. He had seen Yugi make that unconscious gesture a few times—mostly when he had been forced into situations where he felt his confidence was lacking. Those were the times when Yugi had pulled his strength from Yami, and Yami had been happy to help. The nervous habit had steadily decreased until it was rare to see it at all. _Perhaps my returning from the afterlife is more overwhelming than he has let on. I have an idea._ "Do you think we could get together with everyone? Maybe go out for dinner?"

Yugi smiled. Yami always had a way of taking a negative situation and turning it around. This time was no different. "Yeah, that'd be fun. I'll go call the guys and see if they're available." Yugi jumped up off the bed and nearly skipped out of the room with excitement.

Yami watched as Yugi retreated from the room. He had been so excited to return, but he hadn't expected to feel like he was interrupting Yugi's life. _What was I expecting? Perhaps my expectations were too high. I haven't spent a day without watching him, but Yugi has had to move on with his life. He has built a world that doesn't include me in it. Perhaps I was wrong to return?_

"Yami!" Yugi yelled up the stairs.

"Yes Aibou?" The voice came from behind him. Yugi spun around so fast that he nearly knocked into Yami who stood right behind him.

"Sheesh! Don't scare me like that!" Yami chuckled at Yugi's outburst. "Jonouchi, Ryou and Honda are going to meet us at six o'clock. Otogi'll be there at six-thirty. I didn't bother calling Malik since he won't be off of work until late this evening."

"Well, let's get going. It should be nice to see the group once again."

"Well, you could change out of your shenti into some normal clothes. Most of my stuff should fit, especially since we're nearly the same size now."

Yami looked at Yugi. He _had_ grown. Yugi was almost the same height as himself now, and his childlike features had matured. Those beautiful violet eyes had stayed nearly the same though—perhaps as a testament to the bright light that still burned inside Yugi.

"Alright, let me go see what I can find. I'll be back in a minute." He glanced back over his shoulder at Yugi before he walked up the stairs. The boy had already settled on the couch to wait, keeping busy by flipping through channels on the television. Yami continued up the stairs to change.

After about fifteen minutes, Yugi looked over at the stairs. _Geez, he's taking awhile. I hope he's not having any trouble. _"Yami! Are you okay up there?" Yugi yelled up the stairs. He waited for a reply. No response. "Yami?" Still nothing. Getting a little worried, Yugi made his way upstairs to his bedroom. He cracked open the door, making sure to keep his eyes lowered. "Yami? Are you okay in here?"

"Um, Aibou?" Yugi looked up at Yami. "A little help here?" Yami looked over at Yugi sheepishly. He was standing in front of Yugi's closet, attempting to untangle a maroon shirt from its many buckles and zippers. Yami held the shirt out to Yugi who took it and began to flip the shirt in and out, twisting it around itself until it was back to its normal shape.

"What made you pick this one?" Yugi held up the open shirt so Yami could slip it on.

"It looked interesting." Yami shrugged the shirt on with Yugi's help, and then turned around to face him. Yugi zipped up the front of the shirt and began to buckle the many straps that Yami had managed to undo during his struggle with the garment. After finishing the last buckle, Yugi looked to Yami's face. A faint blush crept onto his cheeks when he saw Yami staring at him intensely. _I could drown in those eyes._ Yugi broke the gaze and turned away awkwardly.

"I think we should get going."

Yami did not reply. He followed Yugi out of the room and down to the living room. He watched as Yugi grabbed his keys and made his way to the front door.

"Come on Yami! Let's go!"

"Alright Aibou, I'm coming."

The two boys stepped through the door to Tony's Pizza Place. The parlor had opened up during the summer between their last year of high school and their first at university. Now, it was a regular hangout spot for Yugi and his friends. You could almost always find at least one of them there studying or just having a good time. The owner was an American named Tim, and had turned out to be a great tutor in English and History.

Yugi led Yami through the obstacle course of tables and chairs to the back where there was a large semi-circle booth. Jonouchi was already seated there, carrying on a heated conversation with Tim. As the two boys neared the table, it appeared that they were discussing Jonouchi's latest project for his advertising class.

"Hey guys!" Yugi waved at the two men at the table. They waved back without looking up from the stack of paper. Neither had noticed Yami.

"Hey Yug! How's it goin'? You skipped out on us yesterday. What's goin' on man? What was so important that you'd ditch us?" Jonouchi looked over his best friend, and realized that he had brought another person with him. His eyes widened as he realized who it was.

Yami had hung back a little bit from Yugi. He was feeling out of place, which was unusual for him. Having just come to the realization that he might be intruding on Yugi's life, he only had one thought, _this evening was going to be interesting._

"Uh, Yug? Am I seeing two of you?" The question sounded dumb to Jonouchi even as he asked it. Yugi looked at him and then at Yami. His dark partner had that odd look on his face again. He wasn't acting like he used to around Yugi.

"No, Jonouchi." Yugi spoke calmly, knowing that this situation was going to get tougher before it got any easier. "You are seeing just fine. Yami is back from the afterlife. He returned here late last night."

"Huh?" Was heard from both Jonouchi and Tim as they stared at Yugi then to Yami and back again.

Tim had heard the many fantastic stories from Yugi and his friends. He hadn't really believed many of them, writing most of them off as products of overactive imaginations. Some of the stories were just too fantastic to believe; saving Atlantis from its ancient ruler who wanted to destroy the world, saving the world in Ancient Egypt. Yes, saving the world seemed to be a common theme in the stories. He remembered that the group had spoken fondly of one of the ones that left at the end of the great adventures—the yamis—they called them. Supposedly he was Yugi, or was a part of Yugi, or was _something_ to Yugi. He never understood how that relationship worked. Tim's mind regressed back to the two standing in front of him. The new boy standing in front of him looked identical to Yugi, perhaps only an inch or two taller. _Could it all be true?_

Jonouchi was the first to recover from his temporary stupor. "What are you saying Yug? That Yami's back? That's Yami?"

"Yes." Yugi studied Jonouchi's face as the other boy processed this information. He wasn't sure what to expect at this point.

"Oh. Um, well…"

Yami stepped forward and looked down at Jonouchi. "Jonouchi, it _is_ me."

Jonouchi's eyes widened, finally, with recognition. He stood up from the table and walked over to Yami. Slowly he raised his hand up to the ancient Pharaoh and moved it forward until it rested on his shoulder. _He's solid. And warm. And Yugi's over there._ "It's _you._"

Yami smiled at the boy in front of him. Jonouchi took that smile as an invitation and pulled Yami into a huge hug.

"Dude! Where have you been? How'd you get back here? I thought you were in heaven or the afterlife or something!"

Yami hugged Jonouchi back and then broke the contact. "Yes, yes, I was in the afterlife. How I got back is a…complicated…story."

"Well, come on! Let's sit down and get something to eat! You can tell us the story over pizza!" Yami was pulled over to the booth to sit.

Yugi watched the scene between Jonouchi and Yami silently. The questions would come soon now, and he was just as interested in the answers as his friends were. _That went surprisingly well. I guess it's just easy to relapse into the old 'expect the unexpected' in life, especially after going through the strange things that we did years ago._ He sat down next to Jonouchi, acting as a buffer between the blond and Yami.

Tim finally took the chance to speak up. "So it's true then?" All three boys looked at Tim, now remembering that he was still standing there. They nodded.

"Yeah, it is. Sorry Tim, I forgot my manners for a second. Tim, this is Yami. Yami, Tim. He's the owner of the restaurant, and is a great tutor for a lot of our classes. He loves history." Yugi introduced the two.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Well, you might as well sit down and stay for the story, Tim. You'll probably enjoy talking to Yami—remember I said he was a Pharaoh back in ancient Egypt." Yugi motioned to an empty spot in the large booth. Tim sat back down next to Jonouchi, who was shuffling his schoolwork back into his bag. "So Jonouchi, where's Honda and Otogi? I thought they'd be here by now. It's close to seven."

"Well, they called and said they'd be a little late. They said they were busy at the game shop, which probably translates into them doing you know what." Jonouchi grinned. "Ryou called and said he couldn't make it at the last minute. He said he had something come up that he just couldn't miss."

"Oh, so should we order then?" Yugi looked around the table.

"Sure, might as well. Man, I'm starving!" Jonouchi smiled brightly at the nearest waitress and she began to walk over. "Miss, can we get the regular? Honda and Otogi'll be here too, so there's gonna be six here tonight, including Tim here." The girl nodded and walked off to put in the order.

"Only six tonight? What, you couldn't get Kaiba to come out?" Yugi spoke jokingly to his friend.

"Naw, he's got that big 'secret project' he's been working on for awhile now." The blond put on a fake pout. "_I_ don't even know what it is, and I've been bothering him for weeks to try to find out!"

Yami's eyes widened at the mention of Kaiba. He had almost forgotten about the young CEO. Realizing that the blond boy was talking about the cold young man in such a relaxed tone, his expression twisted into one of mild bewilderment. "Jonouchi, why are you talking about Kaiba so casually? Last thing I remember, you two weren't into speaking civilly to one another."

"Yug, you didn't tell him?"

"No, I haven't really had the chance to update him on everything that's been going on." Yugi looked over at Yami sheepishly. "Sorry."

Jonouchi grinned at Yami. "Well, I guess this is gonna be a shock, but Kaiba and I are together now. Some stuff happened and we ended up hooking up back in the last year of high school." Yami just stared, still listening. "Yeah, and Honda and Otogi hooked up a couple of months after you left. They both run the big game shop now."

"Ah, I see. Now I understand the comment you made earlier about the two." Yami smiled at Jonouchi. "It's nice to know that you and Kaiba finally got together. It was getting old watching you two flirt all the time. I can only imagine how much worse it got before you two got smart."

Jonouchi's jaw dropped open. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew. My culture was more sensitive to that sort of thing. I had a hunch that I'd be right to think that there was an attraction there." Yami leaned back in the seat, folding his hands behind his head, and smiled at Jonouchi. "I see that I was correct."

"Yeah, well thanks for saying something."

"Would you have listened?"

"No."

"Okay, okay guys, break it up. Here come Otogi and Honda." Yugi looked to his friends pleadingly. The topic was still a public taboo, even if everyone at the table was okay with it. He just didn't want to see any arguments break out so soon.

"Hey Yugi, Jonouchi, Tim, Yami! Yami?" Honda called out to his friends before doing a double take at the newest addition to the group.

Otogi draped over Honda's shoulder. "Wha? Yami? What the hell is going on here? How'd you get back?"

"Sit down you guys. Food's coming, and Yami said he'd explain over dinner." Jonouchi pointed at the empty space next to Tim.

"Jonouchi ordered for you guys, I hope you don't mind." Yugi informed the two newcomers.

"Naw, he knows what we like. So does all the staff. We're here enough that they should." Otogi grinned at Yugi. "So how long ago did you guys order? I'm starving!"

Yugi noticed the waitress walking over with two pizzas in hand, and two other servers following behind her. "Well, you won't have to wait long. Here comes the food. You guys sure have good timing. Otherwise you might not have gotten any with the way Jonouchi's been going on."

"Hey! I resent that!"

The pizzas were set on the table with plates and extra silverware that would likely go unused. There was a moment of silence, and then table manners disappeared as the group scrambled and fought for slices of pizza.

As the dust settled, and everyone had at least started on their second slice, Jonouchi spoke up. "So, Yami. You said you'd spill the details over dinner. So spill." He threw a playful smile at the ancient pharaoh.

Yami looked up from his nearly finished slice of pizza to glance at everyone around him. "I guess there's no way out of telling the story?"

"No way." Otogi spoke up. Yami shot him a quick glance before putting his focus onto the group again.

"Well, you all know that I was a Pharaoh named Atemu back in Ancient Egypt. We had quite a few adventures together, and managed to save the world many times from the magic of the Millennium Items, as well as other evils. When the adventure ended, it was time for me to go, and so I did. After leaving you all back in Egypt, I found myself in the afterlife that I had been denied for thousands of years while my spirit was trapped in the puzzle." Yami looked around the table. Everyone had either slowed or stopped their eating. They were hanging on his words. "I found myself among the gods of Egypt, in a magnificent palace where only gods may dwell. I was told that I had fulfilled my duty as Pharaoh and was to live out my afterlife in that beautiful place. Things went well for awhile, but I just could not forget my friends. I felt out of place there—I had a life that I had abandoned and I wanted it back. I know I would have been happy there had I not known that there was something missing. Unfortunately, I knew that there would be no way to return without angering the gods, so I remained quiet in my unrest. It seemed that I was not quiet enough. Hathor, the wife of Horus, and the mother goddess of the Pharaohs, noticed that I was unhappy. It was she who pleaded my case to Osiris. In turn, he made my wishes known to Amun-Ra." Some mouths had dropped open in response to the supernatural name-dropping he was doing. "Amun-Ra made it clear that I was asking a great favor, and I was sure he would say no to me. It was a shock and surprise when he said he would grant my request in return for the sacrifice of giving up my life to save Egypt as I had. I said my thanks and then the world was gone in a flash of white light, before giving away to darkness. I was quite disoriented when I came to my senses, but I found myself in front of Yugi's home late at night. I figured I'd try to wake him up, so I went up to the door and knocked. I was lucky Yugi answered since I found out soon after that I had showed up at nearly three in the morning." Yami had been expecting more of a reaction than what he had gotten. Most of the group was still sitting in awe of the story he had just finished.

Tim was the first to recover. He stared at Yami, before realizing his mouth was still gaping open a bit. He consciously shut it, and shook his head in disbelief. "So, you're saying that those stories are actually true. All the stuff about saving the world, they weren't over exaggerated figments of imagination?"

"Yes." Yami was amused by Tim. He was trying so hard to wrap his mind around a foreign concept, especially since he didn't have any memories to fall back on like the others, who did. The rest of the group had an advantage, they had become used to odd occurrences over the years that they had all been together. That fact alone made it easier for them to come to terms with the idea of his return. "Don't worry too much about it, Tim. You will understand in time."

Yugi sat next to Yami in silence. The others had started to emerge from their thoughts and were asking Yami questions, and he was doing his best to answer. Yugi's mind continued to reel. There had been a lot that Yami hadn't said in that story. It made sense as you listened, but Yugi had known Yami better than any of the others, and he could tell that there was something missing, something that had been deliberately left out.

"Hey Yug! Earth to Yug! Yug!"

"Huh? What?"

"You've been too quiet since Yami finished his story. Are you okay?" Jonouchi looked at his best friend with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Well, okay, if you say so." The blond looked skeptical of Yugi's answer.

"Actually, I think we should get going. I've still got some homework to get done, and it's starting to get late."

Yami glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 9:24. _It's not _that_ late, I wonder if he's okay. Maybe we _should_ get going. We need to talk in private._ "Yes, Yugi, as great as it has been to see everyone again, I'm getting a little tired. I'm still not used to having a physical body in this world again, and it's been draining me of energy." Yami scooted out of the booth and stood, followed by Yugi. "It's been great to see you all, and I'm sure we'll get together again soon. Tim, it's been a pleasure. Have a good evening." Yami smiled and turned to leave.

"See you guys." Yugi managed to wave goodbye before he had to stifle a yawn and followed Yami out.

The walk home was quiet. It seemed that both young men had a lot to think about, and were grateful for the silence. Both were unsure of their relationship, and now that reality had settled in, it was time to visit the difficult questions.

They reached the game shop and Yugi fiddled with the lock while Yami hung back a bit, watching. The walk had been a pleasant relief from the noise of the rest of the group. Yami did care deeply for his friends, and had been glad to see them once again, but it had been a little too much too soon. He should have waited a couple of days. It would have been better to deal with his concerns with Yugi before complicating their situation even more. _Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty. At least I don't have 'seeing the friends again' hanging over my head anymore. They took everything quite well. I hope there's not a case of delayed shock that we'll have to deal with later. Enough of them though, I need to focus on Yugi._

Yami followed Yugi into the house, closing and locking the door behind him. He saw Yugi retreat to the kitchen from the corner of his eye. The excuse he had given to the others so that Yugi and he could leave the parlor early this evening really hadn't been so much of a lie. Yami was feeling exhausted now. He let himself drop onto the couch and waited for Yugi to reemerge from the kitchen.

Yugi walked back into the living room carrying a piece of paper. "Malik's going to be out late tonight. He said not to expect him back before two. I wonder what he does that keeps him out so late?"

Yami looked back to his aibou. "You don't know?"

"Nope. All I know is that he's out of work by nine-thirty on his late nights. He goes out and does something every once in awhile where he stays out late. He's never said what."

"Perhaps you should ask him?"

"Yeah, maybe." Yugi tried to stifle another yawn. "Man, I'm tired. What about you?"

"Exhausted."

"Well, I feel bad about making you sleep on the couch, if you want, you can camp out in my room until we figure out what to do for more permanent arrangements." Yugi gave Yami a small smile.

"I'd like that." Yami stood and grabbed the pile of blankets and pillows that he had left there from the morning. He followed Yugi upstairs to his room.

Yugi found some nightclothes for Yami to sleep in, and the two boys got themselves ready for bed. Yami had made a nice makeshift bed on the floor by the desk. As the two settled in, both began to think about the conversation at dinner again. Yugi turned off the lamp near the bed, plunging the room into darkness. Outlines of the furniture were visible from the soft moonlight that entered through the skylight. Shadows cascaded across the walls, and Yugi stared at them while he gathered his thoughts. He looked down at Yami's silhouette, which lay quietly on the floor nearby.

"Um, Yami?"

"Yes, Aibou?"

"I, well, I guess I was wondering, you sounded like you were leaving something out in your story this evening. Is everything alright?" Yugi's question was met with silence.

"Yami?" More silence. Yugi was about to sit up and turn on the light when he heard a soft reply.

"Yes. Yes, Yugi. Everything is alright." Yami knew he was avoiding the situation, but he just didn't have the strength to deal with it at the moment. He cut off the conversation as best he could while trying to not hurt Yugi's feelings. "It's been a long day, you should get some sleep."

Yugi could tell that there was something bothering his friend, but he knew this was not the time to pry. Yami would talk to him when he was ready. He just hoped that it would be soon. "Alright Yami. Goodnight." Yugi rolled over in bed and started to drift off to sleep.

"Goodnight Yugi."


End file.
